Press Release – CatDV and Akomi
Media Contact:
Ron Prince, Prince PR
T: +44 1225 789 200
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SQUARE BOX SYSTEMS AND NORTH SHORE AUTOMATION AGREE TO EXCLUSIVE SALES DEAL FOR AKOMI DISTRIBUTION MAM
CatDV and Akomi integration delivers simple, secure consumer-level, media asset management and distribution
Stratford-upon-Avon, UK, November 6th, 2014 – Square Box Systems (www.squarebox.com), pioneering developer of CatDV digital asset management systems (DAM), and North Shore Automation (www.northshoreautomation.com), a leading software developer for advanced media asset management systems (MAM), have signed an exclusive global sales agreement. Under the new agreement, Square Box Systems is the excusive worldwide sales partner for North Shore Automation’s Akomi media asset distribution platform, which is compatible, and easily-integrated, with Square Box Systems’ award-winning CatDV digital asset management systems.
Akomi is a private web platform that provides a simple and secure way of interacting with, and publishing, video, audio and other media formats used in digital content creation and distribution. Akomi integrates seamlessly with CatDV systems, enabling the secure web distribution of CatDV assets and metadata to large groups of non-production users.
While CatDV 11 is a production-oriented digital asset management system, and CatDV Web 2 shares assets across the enterprise, CatDV with Akomi enable assets to be distributed outside the enterprise – for example, across large multi-national corporations. Over the last four years, Akomi has been successfully deployed by television productions, corporate video departments and post service providers, including: Vin Di Bona Productions, the company behind America’s Funniest Home Videos; the NUVOtv cable television network; plus Adsmith and Digital Cut Inc., which host a corporate video library for a division of farm equipment manufacturers John Deere.
Akomi features a simple, intuitive user-interface that can be custom-branded, and is compatible with all browsers, as well as leading tablets and cell phones. While being simple to use, Akomi provides powerful administration tools that enable media teams and other users to search and browse media assets.
Akomi’s ability to share cuts for review and approval, and make content available to anyone, reduces turnaround times as well as needless email and phone calls, and does away completely with the time-consuming and costly dispatch of tapes, DVDs or drives.
In a typical workflow, CatDV assets are imported automatically into Akomi, and metadata changes from Akomi instantly write back to CatDV, keeping the entire management process in sync. Akomi runs on Mac, Windows and Linux, hosted on private servers, or a variety of cloud systems. It can be integrated into a range of flexible workflows with media assets always protected by high-security firewalls.
“Akomi makes the sharing of media assets effortless, particularly for users who are distributed across the globe,” said Dave Clack, CEO of Square Box Systems. “When teamed with CatDV, Akomi allows a simplified view of in-progress and finished assets. Thanks to the new sales agreement with North Shore Automation, customers can trial and purchase Akomi more easily than ever.”
“CatDV, top-of-the-line, media asset management systems are valued by customers in many different industries and market sectors, and are the perfect partners for Akomi’s distribution solution,” said Bryson Jones, CEO at North Shore Automation. “We’re thrilled to partner with Square Box Systems and to give customers a new and convenient sales channel to access the power of Akomi.
Akomi will be available to trial and purchase from November 2014, via CatDV sales channels, and at www.squarebox.com.
About North Shore Automation: North Shore Automation (NSA) is a software development company focused on Akomi, middleware development, and Media Asset Management (MAM) deployment. Based in Los Angeles, CA, USA, the North Shore team has spent years on the front lines of the move to file-based production workflows and has applied that experience to creating real-world solutions for broadcast professionals and media creation teams. The North Shore suite of applications bridges the gaps in complex MAM workflows and enables smaller teams to provide more, and better, content to feed the multiple media outlets that today’s broadcasters and producers must service. www.northshoreautomation.com
About Square Box Systems: Square Box Systems is a privately-owned UK software company, specialising in media asset management and production workflow. Its popular CatDV application, launched in 2001, brings order to the chaos of media file management and enables content owners to more easily re-purpose and monetize their assets, via a powerful, user-friendly toolset and streamlined integration with a multitude of media workflow vendors. CatDV systems run on Mac and Windows platforms and are scalable from a single-user application to multi-user enterprise solutions, with convenient web and cloud-based capabilities. In 2012, Square Box Systems was awarded the prestigious Queen’s Award for Innovation, conferred by HM Queen Elizabeth II. CatDV has also won Creative Cow’s Blue Ribbon in 2010 for Best Asset Management Tool, and Videography Magazine’s Best Of NAB 2010 Vidy Award. CatDV is sold globally through a network of distributors and resellers providing local installation, consultancy and support. www.squarebox.com